In this age of social media influences, millions of people are not enjoying life because of the condition of their minds. They constantly dwell on negative, destructive, harmful thoughts. They don’t realise it, but the root cause of many of their problems is simply the fact that their thought life is out of control and very negative.
More than ever, we have to realize that our lives follow our thoughts. If you think negative thoughts, then you’re going to live a negative life. If you think discouraging, hopeless thoughts, or even mediocre thoughts, then your life is going to go down that exact same path. That’s why we have to take captive every thought, and renew our minds with the Word of God on a daily basis.
Today, I want to challenge you to think about what you’re thinking about. Don’t let those self-defeating thoughts linger in your mind. Instead, speak God’s promises over your life. Declare what He says about you. Take captive every thought and renew your mind daily through His awesome Word!
“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:5, NIV).
Let’s Pray
Yahweh, today I choose to take captive every one of my thoughts. I will renew my mind according to Your Word. Father, thank You for being my teacher and helper. I give You my mind, please direct me in the way that I should go. In Jesus’ Name! Amen.
From my own experience, if a husband has an affair, the wife feels hurt and distrusts him. Even if she wants to restore their relationship, trust must also be restored. Sin involves not only violating a command but also betraying a relationship. Not only do we need Jesus Christ to receive the punishment we deserve, but we also need someone to heal our broken relationships. In our sins, we betray God. Genesis says, “The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth.”
Today, many ask, “Can couples who have endured the pain of betrayal be reconciled?”
Those who survive betrayal and go on to have a loving, trust-filled relationship almost always need someone to help them. Similarly, because we have betrayed God, we need someone to reconcile us to God. The broken relationship between each of us and God can be restored and healed only through the work of Christ. He came to make all things new, including our relationship with God. Jesus, our reconciler, draws us back to God even when we want to run the other way. Hallelujah!
God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. – 2 Corinthians 5:19
Let’s Pray
Yahweh, my reconciler, thank you for the ultimate sacrifice you paid, not only to cover the penalty for my sin but also to reconcile me back to God. Yahshua, without you, we would be alone and broken forever. God, I’m sorry for betraying you. please accept my confession in Christ’s name. Amen.
Aren’t you glad that Scripture promises that our troubles and trial are only momentary? When compared with eternity, our troubles won’t last long, they are not eternal! The second part of today’s verse tells us, that when we stand strong in faith during times of adversity, we are building faith, which achieves eternal glory, which will always outlast our trials.
When you confess your trust and reliance on God, you are passing the test for eternal glory!
If you are in the middle of tough times today, look to God. The Bible says that Jesus is the author and finisher of your faith. He is the one who writes faith on your heart, and then develops it to completion on the inside of you, as you yield yourself to Him.
Today, your part is to seek Him. Follow His commands. Open your heart and choose to speak His Word which is alive and active. Remember, your trials are only momentary and light, but His eternal glory outweighs it all and last forever, from this world into the next. Hallelujah!
“For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” (2 Corinthians 4:17, NIV)
Let’s Pray
Yahweh, thank You for preparing me for Your eternal glory. I cast my cares on You, knowing that my trials and troubles are momentary and light, compared to the wonderful eternity You have for me, according to Your Word. Thank You for Your eternal blessing on my life, which begins today and will last forever, beyond this life and into the next, in Christ’ Name! Amen.
We all face storms in life. But during those times, we have to remember that Almighty God is greater than any struggle we face! He’ll take those challenges and use them to strengthen us, but we have to do our part and take a step of faith toward the victory.
When a caterpillar becomes a butterfly, it’s in a dark place on the backside of some tree, been battered by the storms of life. it doesn’t look like it has many options. But when it becomes a butterfly i, it doesn’t just sit and wait for someone to come and let it out of it’s cocoon. No, that butterfly knows that it has to make a move if it’s going to be set free to fly. In the same way, we have to do something to get out of the confining places life has placed us in. We have to pray, we have to believe, and we have to move into our victory .
Today, don’t just sit there! No matter what you may be facing, don’t forget, His grace is sufficient for you. His strength is made perfect in you. He has given you everything you need to be an overcomer in this life. Now is the time to make a move break free from the clutches of the storm and rise to new levels because God has victory and blessing prepared for you!
“And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’…” (2 Corinthians 12:9, NKJV)
Let’s PrayYahweh, thank You for the strength to make it through any challenge I may face. Father, I will not stand still in my struggles , I will move beyond them putting my trust in You. God, I declare that You are good and faithful. Thank You for equipping me with strength for a powerful victory in every area of my life in Christ’ name. Amen …
In the Lord’s prayer (Luke 11:1-4), Jesus begins his prayer with, “Our father who art in heaven.” That first word reminds us that we are not alone, that we are linked through God to one another as one family, and He is daddy. As we come close to God, we are drawn into a closer relationship with one another. By telling us to call God “father,” Jesus moves us from images of a remote God to an image of God as one who is with us constantly, who cares about us always, who daily provides for us like a good father should. I was always told, “you look like your dad, you walk like your dad and you act like him. This should be what folk say about us and our heavenly father. One whose likeness we bear at the deepest levels of our being.
Today, we ought to respect God’s title as father, “Holy is His Name,” we must acknowledge God’s holiness. This may seem a contradiction, to acknowledge that we are family and then immediately to acknowledge God’s holiness (in contrast to our lack of it). But “Holy is His Name” reminds us that one of the basic postures of prayer is awe. This is the essence of prayer: being with God as we are and He accepting us as child no matter what we’ve done, and we accepting God as God is. This encounter changes us, bit by bit, and allows us to experience freedom, confidence and self-worth. (See 2 Corinthians 3:18.)
So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into His glorious image. 2 Corinthians 3:18 (NLT)
Let’s Pray Yahweh, thank You for being my father. Thank You for Your acceptance of me as Your sinful child and not turning Your back on me. I respect and love You today and always, You are awesome, in Christ’s Name! Amen.
Don’t wait for everything to be perfect before you decide to celebrate what God is going to do in your life. Put some action behind your faith. In the middle of that adversity or tough time, start making a list of who you’re going to invite to your victory celebration. That means if you’re in the hospital, start planning what you’re going to do when you get out. If you’re in debt, start planning your coming-out-of-debt party. No matter what you are facing, no matter what’s going on in the world around you, no matter what anybody says, you should always be thanking God, because your victory is on the way. The Scripture says God will always lead us into victory!
Today, when things don’t look good in the natural and you don’t feel like celebrating, remember, we serve a supernatural God. He can turn things around in a moment. With God leading you into victory, you can always plan for change. You can plan for restoration. You can plan for a comeback that will make you stronger and better than you ever were before! Hallelujah!
“Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ…”
(2 Corinthians 2:14, NKJV)
Let’s Pray
Yahweh, I celebrate right now because of Your promise of victory. Father, give me faith to celebrate Your vision and victory, so that I can be more confident in Your abundant life. God, help me to start planning now for the changes I want to see in my life based upon Your Word, in Christ’s Name! Amen.
Did you know that your life moves in the direction of your mind? So many people today are not really enjoying their lives because of the condition of their minds. They constantly dwell on negative, destructive, harmful thoughts. They don’t realise it, but the root cause of many of their problems is simply the fact that their thought life is out of control.
Yes our lives follow our thoughts. If you think negative thoughts, then you’re going to live a negative life. If you think discouraging, hopeless thoughts, or even mediocre thoughts, then your life is going to go down that exact same path. That’s why Scripture says, we have to take captive every thought and renew our minds on a daily basis.
Today, I want to challenge you to think about what you’re thinking about. Don’t let self-defeating thoughts linger in your mind. Instead, speak God’s promises over your life. Declare what He says about you and renew your mind daily through God’s great and awesome promises!
“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:5, NIV)
Let’s Pray
Yahweh, help me take captive every thought. Father, I want you to renew my mind according to Your Word. Dear Holy Spirit, please be my teacher and helper. I invite You to direct me in the way that I should go. In Christ’s Name! Amen.
Looking back at life is not always a good thing as not all our memories are good. However, today I encourage you to take time to look back and see the victories that God has given you? Are they written down somewhere?
Scripture suggest It’s so important to meditate on the victory of God in your life everyday, because it helps you to take hold of the fact that God always leads us in triumph!
Today, are going through a difficult time? Instead of focusing on your problems focus on your God. Say, “Thank You, God, for leading me into victory!” Meditate on God’s faithfulness in the past and keep an attitude of expectancy. Give Him thanks and praise, because He is leading you into victory in every area of your life! Hallelujah!
“Thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph through Christ…” (2 Corinthians 2:14, NASB)
Let’s Pray
Yahweh, thank You for Your faithfulness to me in so many situations. Father, fill me with expectation for what You will do in the future. God, thank You for the assurance of victory, in Christ’s Name! Amen.
On Good Friday some 2000 years ago Christ was overwhelmed, the pressure of the world was on His shoulders, it was going to be a hard day. He was weak but he had to push through. On good Friday Christ teaches us how to handle being overwhelmed and feeling weak. We all have seasons in life when we feel overwhelmed. When unexpected things happen, we can be tempted to get discouraged. We may feel like we don’t have what it takes, or we may feel weak. Anytime you feel this way, you have to realise that feelings aren’t facts. Hallelujah!
Today, just like that Friday when Christ was crucified, let’s not forget God has equipped you just like Christ was, and He already has a plan for you to come out of that difficulty. Scripture says, when you feel weak, that’s when God’s strength rises in you. His strength will overcome any opposition you may face. Anytime you feel weak, that’s when God is strong in You! Keep praying, keep believing, keep pressing forward and rise up in the victory He has in store for you!
“That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:10, NIV)
Let’s Pray
Yahweh, thank You for going through the pain of good Friday for me, this gives me strength for any adversity I face in this life. Father, I know that with You, I will overcome. God, please help me to keep my heart and mind focused on You as I move forward in victory. In Christ’s Name! Amen.
Breaking news – your troubles will come to an end. Hallelujah! In this life, God warns that we will have trials and tribulations. The good news is that He also promises to deliver us from them all! Now, He doesn’t necessarily say that He will deliver us instantly, or the way we expect, or on our schedule.
When things don’t happen the way you expect, it can be tempting to get discouraged, down and despondent. When you feel like trouble is surrounding you, that’s when you have to dig your heels in as the saying goes, and say “I’m not going to give up, because God promised me victory!”
Today, if you are going through a dark time, keep moving forward! Remember, it’s always darkest just before dawn. That difficulty didn’t come to stay, it came to pass as the Bible says. Please stay in faith and keep praising and thanking God for delivering you. Set your hope in Him, stir up your faith, and keep believing, because soon you will see the victory God has prepared for you! Hallelujah!
“Our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!” (2 Corinthians 4:17, NLT)
Let’s Pray
Yahweh, thank You for giving me the strength to overcome every trouble I face today through Your Spirit. Father, I set my mind on You. I set my hope on Your love, knowing that You are paving the way for my victory all the days of my life, in Christ’s Name! Amen.
As we come to the end of 2020, think about the process a caterpillar goes through before it becomes a butterfly. When it’s wrapped in its cocoon in the dark side of some tree, it doesn’t look like it has many options. But after it becomes a butterfly, it doesn’t just sit and wait for someone to come and drill a hole and let it out. No! That butterfly knows that it has to make a move if it’s going to be set free. In the same way, we have to do something to get out of the confining places we are in. We have to pray, set goals and move; we have to believe and keep pressing through to victory.
Truth be told we all go through seasons of difficulty that can sometimes feel overwhelming. But during these times, we have to remember that our God is greater than the struggle we face! In 2021 He’ll take our challenges and use them to strengthen us, all we have to do is get into agreement with Him.
Today, and throughout 2021 no matter what you may be facing, remember His grace is sufficient for you. His strength is made perfect in your weakness. Keep believing, keep praying, keep hoping, and keep pressing forward. Before long, you’ll break free and rise to the new levels of victory God has prepared for you. Hallelujah!
“And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’…” (2 Corinthians 12:9, NKJV)
Let’s Pray
Yahweh, thank You for the strength to make it through any challenge I face in 2021. Father, I will put my trust in You. Almighty God, I declare that You are good, and I thank You for working behind the scenes on my behalf, in Christ’s Name! Amen.
When that guy cat-calls you just to get a reaction, what do you do? You ignore him and keep walking.
When that bully pushes all of your buttons just to make you mad, what do you do? you tune them out and move on.
When somebody tries to convince you of something you know 100% isn’t true, you don’t even give it a second thought before you dismiss the argument.
So why don’t we use this tactic against the father of all lies, a.k.a the enemy that is out to destroy your life? Just don’t engage. As soon as you do, he wins. He is cunning, crafty, and manipulative, and he’s only after your heart. He wants to crush it and mutate it and trample it underfoot until there’s nothing left for God to use.
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy…” John 10:10a
I know this isn’t easy. Trust me, I’m a thinker. Overthinking is my second nature, if not my first nature. I have to think through everything, especially when faced with a conflict. If somebody challenges my opinion, my first reaction is to analyze the entire argument…
What are they saying?
Do I agree or disagree? Why?
What do I think?
How does that compare to what they think?
What is true?
What evidence affirms/denies my argument?
Is there any way there is truth in both arguments?
Why do they think what they think?
Why do I think what I think?
And it goes on …
and on …
and on.
I think you get the idea. By the way, all of that overthinking happens in about 2 seconds. It’s an intense self-interrogation until I think my way into a solution that makes sense to me, so I can feel at peace with what I believe and move on.
Sometimes this is a really useful skill, but the enemy knows exactly how to use it for my deepest undoing. The problem with using the “overthinking tactic” against Satan is that he doesn’t care about logic. His goal is not to convince me that his argument makes more sense. In fact, he doesn’t even care about what he says. He doesn’t even believe the lies himself.
“You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that — and shudder.”
James 2:19
Satan knows God. He knows scripture. He knows what the truth is, and his goal is to keep you as far away from it as possible. He knows the power that God’s word can have in your life and that terrifies him. He will say whatever it takes to get you to question God and doubt His goodness, and the moment you try to reason with him, you’ve fallen into his trap.
I say all of this because I fall into the trap far too often. The devil uses people near and dear to me to convince me of his lies because he knows it works with almost 100% accuracy. Because their opinion matters so much to me, I will over-analyze their every word and body language to my own demise. Something they say – or don’t say – pricks one of my insecurities (unbeknownst to that person), and the trap has been set. Suddenly, I’m hit with an avalanche of thoughts like these:
“They just don’t care enough about you to ask about your day.”
“You’re stupid for thinking ______ would happen.”
“You’re too dramatic, emotional, etc.”
“It’s your fault that you can’t handle this feeling.”
The first step is to recognize the lie. Now, to do this, you have to know the Truth. No, that’s not a typo. I meant Truth with a capital “T” because you have to know God’s Word, and His word is Truth. Once you start to bury His word in your heart, and begin to recognize his voice, you can more easily discern truth from lies.
“These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”
Deuteronomy 6:6-7
But it doesn’t stop there! That’s where I made my mistake. I thought, “If I recognize the lie, it will become invalid and it won’t sting anymore.”
False.
Satan is more crafty than that, and he was already one step ahead of me. See, he recognized how I use my interrogation process to reconcile a contradicting thought, so he used it against me. He used it to blur the lines between lie and Truth. So he takes me down this rabbit hole to confuse me and muddle the words of God until I feel so lost, confused, and heartbroken that I can’t even remember what lie got the whole thing started to begin with. He knows how I look for the middle ground to make sense of things, but there is no middle ground between what the devil says and what God says.
So no, it CANNOT end with recognizing the lie. You have to take the next step and make the choice not to engage with the lie. Now, if you’re a thinker like me, this will be hard. Like really, really hard. But you have to choose to look the other way. Change your posture to look toward your loving, protective, jealous, Heavenly Father. Tell the enemy you don’t have time for his games. Don’t try to argue with him and tell him why his lie is a lie and why God’s Truth wins, because he already knows it, and he doesn’t care. He’ll just twist everything around until you find yourself lost in a muddy mess of nothing that makes any sense whatsoever.
“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
2 Corinthians 4:18
To sum it up…
Study Truth, that is, the Word of God.
Recognize the lie, which is not the Word of God.
Don’t Engage. Choose to meditate on and dwell in the Word of God.
“Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.”
Joshua 1:8
This is not something that my genius, overthinking brain came up with one day. This is something that the Holy Spirit whispered to me, and by God’s grace alone, I heard it. I was on the brink of yet another panic attack and fearful of going back down that dark road. I was on the brink of forming another unsuccessful argument for why the lie was a lie and trying to figure out a way to outsmart the devil this time, and the Holy Spirit simply said, “don’t engage with the lie.” Of course I tried to overthink and analyze again, but He didn’t relent. He just kept telling me, “Don’t engage with the lie. It’s not worth it. Just keep looking at Me. Lean on the love of your Father instead of your own knowledge for once.” Hey, that sounds familiar, right?
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways submit to him and he will make your paths straight.”
Proverbs 3:5-6
So go ahead. Give the enemy the cold shoulder. Hit him with the silent treatment. Then you will taste freedom. Remember the second half of John 10:10…
“…I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
John 10:10b
Go live in the abundant life Christ bought for you. The enemy’s lies are not worth your time, precious child of God.
Now, more than ever, our lives seem out of control, with governments making decisions for our every move. Have you ever felt like things in your life are out of control? That happens when you allow circumstances to dictate your thoughts and attitudes. You might say, “well, the economy is wreaking havoc on my business.” Or, “this relationship is just too far gone, it’s not worth trying.” My message to you today is “this is the day to take your life back!”
Today’s verse tells us we must take control of every thought which is not a natural idea. We live in this natural realm, but as believers, we are not limited by this natural realm. We can tap into God’s supernatural power. But it starts by making every thought line up with the Word of God, and declaring I’m taking my life back in Jesus’ Name! Hallelujah!
Today, from the government to the church, nobody seems to know what to do, and this confusion sows seeds of fear. By faith today I say take your life back. You may ask how? By taking your thoughts back from secular natural agencies. Don’t allow the enemy to have access any longer. Instead, meditate on the Word of God daily, and allow His truth to sink down deep into your spirit. Let His truth set you free! Hallelujah!
“…take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
(2 Corinthians 10:5, NIV)
Let’s Pray Yahweh, thank You for empowering me to live in victory. Father, today I choose to take my life back from the enemy and his agencies by taking captive every thought and submitting it to You. God, help me to live a life that is pleasing to You, starting now and throughout my life, in Jesus’ Name! Amen.
Did you know God wants to do His work on earth through you? You are His ambassador or representative. You have been given His authority and power to act on His behalf. It’s easy to get focused on this natural realm and all the things that we need, but do you realise that you are equipped to be somebody else’s miracle?
The Scripture tells us we are Christ’s ambassador. Daily, we have opportunities to show God’s love and compassion to others. We can meet needs, bring them healing, and offer hope and encouragement. Every day, we can sow good seed into the lives of others that will reap an everlasting harvest. Hallelujah!
Today, don’t overlook the ways to be a blessing to someone else. When you step out and pour God’s love, joy and peace into others, He will make sure that others pour into you. Let’s continue to work together to bring Him glory and build His eternal kingdom!
“We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us…” (2 Corinthians 5:20, NIV)
Let’s Pray
Yahweh, thank You for choosing me and using me as Your ambassador. Father, I fully surrender every area of my life to You. God, show me ways to be a miracle to others, through the love and compassion You have given me, so that my life will bring You glory, in Christ’s Name! Amen.
Are you low-spirited? Is your mind and heart bogged down by a multitude of issues? Failures, regretful words spoken, deeds you wish you could scrap from your history, wrong decisions you wish you could rethink over again? These are some of the culprits that make you lose out in life. When these take over, you lose joy and zest for facing your now and your future. The child of God shouldn’t live in such an unfortunate way. Following are some principles that will help you reclaim your life.
Learn from the past but don’t live in it.
From 1 Corinthians 10:11 we understand that past occurrences serve as examples and warnings of what we need to imitate and what we need to avoid following after. From both the good and the bad there are learnings to mark and treasure. Successes and failures should never be inflated. Let them serve their purpose to affirm or to warn, then put them to rest.
Romans 12:3 warns us saying, “Let no man think of himself more highly than he ought to think.” Over-dwelling on accomplishments tends to lead to that. It lifts the successful man to a plane he may find difficult to come down from.
Proverbs 24:16 encourages us saying, “Though the righteous man falls seven times, he WILL rise again.” There is never a pit God won’t be able to lift us from. In every downfall, there will always be a rising for the beloved one of God.
Life is filled with seasons. In every season, take courage and maintain joy and drive in all that lies before you. Ecc 6:11 says, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all you’ve got.” Be excited of the fact that whatever unfolds, God is ever at your side. He will never leave nor abandon you.
Stop using wrong measures.
2 Corinthians 10:12 says, “Not that we dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who are commending themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding.” Further, verse 17-18 say, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord. For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.” Lastly, Romans 14:8 reminds us, “Whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s.”
From the passages we gather that it is wrong for man to use fellow man as a standard for performance and worth. God who is impartial, always loving, always good; His standards are just right, always within perfect reason and purpose. It is His standard and precepts we should consider. It is His approval that matters. It is His approval we should long for.
Yes, Seek God’s approval first and desire His approval most.
1 Corinthians 10:31 reminds us of the proper perspective to all things. In everything we do, God’s pleasure and honor is to be our purpose and goal. It’s normal to pursue achievement and success because these make us feel good and proud of ourselves. Achievements are an affirmation and appreciation of all the hard work we put into something. But that shouldn’t be our only motivation. God’s pleasure and testimony should be the top reason why we want to do well in school, in work, in life and relationships.
We have a Father who is never unreasonable nor overly expecting. We know that anything done rightfully and sincerely will be accepted of Him and will receive praise from Him. In the Old Testament God has made clear from the beginning that if we do right we will be accepted. (Genesis 4:7) In the New, we know that God pays attention to the motives of man’s hearts and basing from that, each man will receive due praise from God. (1 Corinthians 4:5)
I crave comfort. I like chicken and dumplings, biscuits and gravy, chocolate chip cookie dough, latte’s and smoothies, and my grandmother’s strawberry shortcake in the summertime. I like to feel like the energizer bunny with the ability to keep up with my rambunctious crew. I like to have harmonious relationships where everybody gets along and knows you by name. I like a good book on a not-too-hot kinda day, while sitting on the edge of the pool.
I like boat rides.
Sunsets.
Chic-flicks.
Yep, I like them all.
Oh, the sweetness of comfort…it just feels gooooood.
However, when I look at 2 Corinthians 1:3-11 (please read along), I quickly discover that my interpretation of the source of comfort differs from God’s point of view. Suffering precedes comfort. Affliction before blessing. It sounds like God got it all wrong.
“who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.” 2 Cor. 4-5
I must constantly remind myself that suffering is part of the blessing. In the midst of my difficulties, I draw near to God. If I never walked through hard times, there are parts and pieces of God that I would never experience and come to know first-hand. It is through affliction that I come to know Him more. He knows suffering better than I do, and He is holding out His hand asking me to come along.
He is the God of all comfort
There is a great promise here: God is the God of ALL comfort. His comfort is available right now. He doesn’t hold time-constraints or limitations on it. His warranty doesn’t run out in 5 years. He tells us we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings so that we can share abundantly in comfort too.
If I am brutally honest…I am thankful for the hardships in my life. Although I don’t want to repeat them, I can say that through them God has drawn me closer nigh. Here’s an excerpt from my recent journal:
I feel like I am in a water raft going down a muddy, uncharted, turbulent river. The course before me seems impossible with all of its bumps and turns. My heart longs to jump overboard; however, I know that the riverbank is too steep and rocky. I could never escape alive. I find myself struggling to keep going and instead, put up a fight. I’m not ready to receive comfort. I want to linger here a little while. Stew a bit. Ponder the situation. Try to fix it on my own. Maybe I’ll start a petition, or loiter in the restroom. Hold a picket sign. Cry a bit. I really don’t want to move on.
But as I glance over my shoulder, I see that Jesus is my guide. He is charting my course and holding me steady, ensuring that I don’t completely drown. He tells me to keep my eyes steadfast ahead. He’s got me covered before and behind. And so, I will keep on paddling. Keep going. He is always faithful. He promises to do it again and again!
“He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again.” 2 Cor. 1:10
Keep your eyes on Him. He will deliver you….and when He does, you will be able to help someone else along.
